On Tuesday night the Boston Celtics were able to secure the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference after defeating the Washington Wizards 118-100. Jayson Tatum put on a spectacular performance to lead his team to victory.
Now, the Celtics move on to play the Brooklyn Nets in a seven-game series. Brooklyn is the heavy favorite to win, as the roster is loaded with talent throughout. Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving serve as Brooklyn's big three and have caused fits for their opponents throughout the regular season.
However, the Celtics come in as a strong seven seed. Even though Jaylen Brown is out for the remainder of the year with a wrist injury, Boston still has the talent to cause problems for Brooklyn. Tatum is playing at an elite level right now, Kemba Walker is still a solid point guard, and the rest of the roster has stepped up in recent weeks. With that said, here three reasons why the Celtics will upset the Nets in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Jayson Tatum
I know he's just one guy, but Tatum has been on a tear as of late. He's had three 50-point games since April and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Basketball is a team sport, however, unlike other team sports, one player has the ability to take control of a game. Look for Tatum to play at peak performance during the Celtics/Nets series.
It'll be a tough matchup for the Celtics' star forward, but he'll be up for the task. Averaging 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, Tatum has proven to be one of the best young stars in the league. This will be a great challenge for him to show his worth even more so.
Defense and Rebounding
The Celtics have turned up the heat on offense, but their defense has kept them in nearly every game. Marcus Smart is one of the league's best perimeter defenders while Robert Williams and Tristan Thompson protect the interior. Additionally, the Celtics have averaged 22.4 rebounds per game between Tatum, Williams, and Thompson alone.
Playing lockdown defense and controlling the boards will be Boston's bread-and-butter during this series. Much easier said than done, as Durant, Harden, and Irving are three of the league's top scorers. Look for the Celtics to slow the game down and play halfcourt basketball to level the playing field.
The Supporting Cast
The Celtics roster is much better than where they placed in the postseason. Brown is out, but the supporting cast around Tatum is still solid. Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier, and Robert Williams are in the starting lineup with Tatum. Meanwhile, guys like Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams, and Tristan Thompson round out the main core off of the bench.
For the Celtics to stun the Nets, the entire roster is going to have to step up in a big way. Head coach Brad Stevens is a mastermind and will likely draw up a game plan to make things more competitive. If Boston can force the Nets to play their style of basketball, this could turn into a long series for Brooklyn.
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